Brucella abortus Induces the Premature Death of Human Neutrophils through the Action of Its Lipopolysaccharide.

ABSTRACT: Most bacterial infections induce the activation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), enhance their microbicidal function, and promote the survival of these leukocytes for protracted periods of time. Brucella abortus is a stealthy pathogen that evades innate immunity, barely activates PMNs, and resists the killing mechanisms of these phagocytes. Intriguing clinical signs observed during brucellosis are the low numbers of Brucella infected PMNs in the target organs and neutropenia in a proportion of the patients; features that deserve further attention. Here we demonstrate that B. abortus prematurely kills human PMNs in a dose-dependent and cell-specific manner. Death of PMNs is concomitant with the intracellular Brucella lipopolysaccharide (Br-LPS) release within vacuoles. This molecule

SUBMITTER: Barquero-Calvo E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4422582 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature